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My Newest Adventure…

I’m starting a preschool. Have I told you that? Maybe not…I wasn’t sure that I wanted to blog about it, because it’s really different from what I’ve blogged about in the past. But I’m not really concerned with that anymore. My blog has always been a journal of my life and thoughts and I believe that it should stay that way. So here I am, sharing a new adventure with you…

Believe it or not, this is yet another dream I’ve always had. It just hasn’t been the right time until this year. I’ve always loved teaching children, and as the years have passed, I’ve been so blessed to have so many different experiences that have all shaped my educational philosophy. From teaching in public school to homeschooling my own children to teaching all age groups in churches and volunteering in various mentoring programs, to adopting a child from the foster care system, I’ve had the great blessing to use all these things to shape my ideals about education.

I’m really excited about this new adventure. I’ll be using all my experience to make a memorable, meaningful preschool experience. Our preschool will be nature-based. We have a large garden and small farm behind the preschool that we will be visiting often. We will take nature walks and play a whole lot. We will build a strong foundation for future learning in all subject areas, but specifically in reading, writing and math. One of the greatest qualities in children is their natural curiosity, and we will use that to foster a deep love of learning. But more important than all that, my personal goal as a teacher is to teach them about Jesus. It is my deepest desire that they know scripture by heart, that they hear all the great bible stories that each point so clearly back to The Gospel, and that they know why I love Him so much.

I’ve realized over the years that children don’t need a room full of bright colors and busy decorations. For children with sensory issues and hyperactivity, that is a huge distraction that makes them uncomfortable and doomed to fail. So we have been working hard on remodeling an older home. We are designing it to have the feel of a home, with a touch of vintage schoolhouse. Our hope is that children walk in and immediately feel comfortable, peaceful, and at home.

I’m looking forward to telling you more about the preschool. In the next few weeks, I’ll be giving you a full tour via this blog right here. But for now, here are some pictures of the transformation.

This was what the house looked like when we started. Check out that 1950’s floor!

When my sweet in-laws peeled off the ceiling tile we found a boarded ceiling!

Then, we ripped the walls off and found shiplap underneath. Some of the boards were original shiplap. So cool!

A lot of paint, new windows, new floor, and beautiful trim, and it’s starting to look great!

The scallop you see here is one of the many nods to the vintage feel we are going for.

And this is the first room almost finished. Can you just imagine lots of learning happening here?

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For more information about our preschool, you can check out our Facebook Page.